Happy birthday jesse owens

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.
-Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens was born in Alabama and, aged 9, the family moved to the Granville section of Cleveland. His early life was marked by poverty, and he was forced to take many menial jobs such as delivering goods and working in a shoe repair shops. However, he was able to develop his passion for running and athletics; from an early age, he was identified as having great potential talent. In later life, he gave much credit to Charles Riley, his high school coach who encouraged him and made allowances for his difficulty in making evening training sessions because Jesse had to work in a shoe repair shop.

Jesse Owens rose to national prominence in 1933, when he equalled the world record (9.4 seconds) for the 100 yard dash. He attended Ohio State University but, without a scholarship, he had to continue working part time. In the 1930s, America was a highly segregated society, and when traveling with the team, Jesse had to suffer the indignities of eating at separate restaurants and staying in different hotels.

One of his great athletic feats occurred in 1935; during one particular track meet, he broke three world records. This included the long jump (Owen’s record stood for 25 years), 220 yards and 220 yards hurdles. He also equalled the record for 100 yards.

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